The 2026 P4P teams will receive up to $100,000 apiece to support access to community service, reproductive health, and clean water in Philadelphia.
2 min. read
The Office of Social Equity & Community (SEC) has announced its sixth annual cohort of Projects for Progress (P4P) award recipients. The initiative offers funding of up to $100,000 to teams of Penn students, faculty, and staff who are committed to making a positive impact on quality of life in the city of Philadelphia.
“Penn once again received the Carnegie classification for Community Engagement in January, which underscores how much work is being done year-round throughout the University to address important social issues,” says Nicole Maloy, who oversees Projects for Progress and serves as director in the Office of Social Equity & Community. “I always expect the Penn community to come through with strong proposals for P4P, and I have never been disappointed.”
There were 41 applicant teams this year, representing 159 members of the Penn community (68 students and 91 faculty/staff). That is up from 16 teams last year.
“It is such an honor to help connect some of Penn’s most dedicated and compassionate people with the support they need to bring their ideas to fruition,” says SEC Vice President and University Chaplain Chaz Howard. “Each team is focused on taking meaningful action, and we are excited to see their projects get off the ground in the coming year.”
Maria Cuellar, assistant professor, criminology, School of Arts & Sciences
A Whole Community (AWC) will be a website that connects those who must complete court-mandated community service with organizations that are seeking volunteers. At the moment, those assigned community service in Philadelphia receive limited support in locating volunteer opportunities. AWC would make the process efficient, accessible, and reliable, benefitting both defendants and the wider Philadelphia community.
(From left) Lee-Or Scarlat, Saisahana Subburaj, Sophie Rust, and Shoshana Aronowitz.
Lee-Or Scarlat, graduate student, professional nursing + nurse-midwifery, Penn Nursing
Saisahana Subburaj, graduate student, nurse-midwifery, Penn Nursing
Sophie Rust, graduate student, nurse-midwifery, Penn Nursing
Shoshana Aronowitz, faculty mentor, assistant professor of family and community health, Penn Nursing
RJ on the Street addresses gaps in reproductive healthcare for Philadelphia residents who are unhoused, underinsured, and/or living with substance-use disorder. In partnership with Courage Medicine, the team will operate a student-run clinic providing low-barrier perinatal care, social work support, and harm-reduction-informed reproductive health services.
Community Art and Science for Safe Watershed Access on the Tidal Schuylkill
Penn researchers and Southwest Philadelphia residents will partner with Bartram’s Garden to monitor water quality/microbial ecology along the Tidal Schuylkill, helping community members “read the river,” connecting water science to everyday life and stewardship. Monitoring data and visual materials, including Bartram’s new bog garden as a living classroom, will translate watershed concepts into accessible programming for residents and visitors.
When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida’s historic flood
New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn’t a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
The Fed explained: What it does and why it matters
Former Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and financial historian Peter Conti-Brown, both Wharton professors, unpack the central bank’s origins, its unusual structure, and the quiet ways it shapes the economy
How population changes are impacting primary education worldwide
Research from Penn sociologist Emily Hannum and colleagues reveals regional trends in whether school-age populations are increasing, plateauing, or decreasing—and shows how different countries are responding.
A bioengineered bean gum from the lab of Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell is found to reduce the levels of three microbes associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer to almost zero, without affecting the beneficial bacteria normally found in the mouth.
Fighting oral cancer with bioengineered chewing gum
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes linked to worse outcomes in oral cancers, paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.
